"F" as in not FUNNY!!!

It's time once again for Ms. Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday and this week we are studying the letter "F" as in not FUNNY!

What's wrong with some people?  I know we live in the age of social media where often people get themselves in trouble for Twittering or posting something hastily without thinking first.  However, what happened in Atlanta last week took advanced planning.  Did you hear about the Sports Radio hosts who thought it was FUNNY to do a skit mocking a 36 year old former NFL player battling ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease)?

Their skit brought back painful memories of my friends battling ALS.  Yes, over the years I've lost three friends to ALS and got to witness first hand their gradual decline until their bodies could no longer sustain life.  Believe me, there was nothing FUNNY about it.  They gradually lost the ability to walk, speak, and swallow.  I believe what ultimately took their lives was heart failure due to starvation.

I took this description from the ALS Association website:

What is ALS?

En español

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.


Hardly FUNNY, but you can click here to listen for yourself.  It's totally tasteless, so I'll give you a quick synopsis in case you don't want to hear it.  They pretend to be interviewing former New Orlean's Safety Steve Gleason and use a robotic voice to imitate the computerized voice he must use to communicate now.  They have "Steve" saying he might be gone by next Thursday and doing knock knock jokes and asking to be smothered.  There was more, but that will give you a general idea of their sick humor.

When I listened to the skit I shed a few tears.  I cried for my friends that are gone, for Steve Gleason, and for everyone battling this cruel disease for which there is no real treatment or cure.


I'm glad to say that these broadcasters have been fired.  In my opinion they should never have access to live air waves again.  How could anyone think that poking fun of a young dying man is FUNNY?

I just don't get it.

Please head over to Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent" for a list of this week's Alphabe-Thursday participants.

 Thanks for listening to my rant.  Can you tell I'm mad?

IT'S TIME

It's hard to believe, but my friend Annette has been gone six years today. I first met Annette in 1991 when I began walking at the mall early in the morning. She was also a new walker and we quickly became friends. We joined in with a group of other mall walkers that met daily in the food court for coffee and conversation after walking.

Another one of the walkers we met was Jean. Annette and I lived in the same town and Jean lived close by in the next town. Jean mostly walked outside, but about once or twice a week she'd come to the mall. I would occasionally walk outside in the afternoon at a local park with Jean. Soon Annette, Jean, and I started meeting for coffee or frozen yogurt about one afternoon a week. We'd have a good time solving all the world's problems and exchanging stories about our husbands and kids.

Sadly, in a really bizarre coincidence my two friends were both diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease (also known as ALS) within a few weeks of each other. Both had started exhibiting problems with walking and muscle weakness. I think most people probably go their entire lives and never know anyone with this horrible disease. It is relatively rare and there is no treatment or cure. In fact, they still don't even know what causes it. A diagnosis of ALS is a death sentence.

ALS is a cruel disease. Muscles become weaker and walking becomes extremely difficult. Eventually a wheel chair becomes a necessity. Swallowing becomes difficult and after a while eating is almost impossible. Drooling is a problem too. Many lose the ability to speak. You wouldn't wish this disease on your worst enemy.

The last time Annette, Jean, and I met for coffee we went to a new Starbucks that had just opened. At that time Annette was using a walker and Jean had a leg brace. I believe that might have been one of the last times Jean drove. I helped them both into the store and then went up and ordered their drinks and brought them to the table. I was the waitress that day since my friends could no longer easily get up.

To this day I have trouble going into that particular Starbucks. I've done it a few times over the years, but I've had trouble every time. I order my drink and then leave as quickly as possible before I make a fool of myself by bursting into tears.

I think it's time I focused on the good times we had together. All the times we shared stories and laughed. I need to focus on all the good years my friends had and not the time after their ALS diagnosis. After all, there were many, many good years.

This week I'm going to pay a visit to that Starbucks. I'm going to remember my friends and smile. It's time.

Annette

Jean